MHRA’s Pound on aligning clinical trial regulation with innovation

Clinical trial reforms designed to shorten drug development timelines have taken effect in the U.K., where regulators hope streamlined processes will attract sponsors and increase trial activity. But James Pound, MHRA’s interim director of innovation and compliance, told BioCentury the agency’s strategy extends beyond speed, with a focus on getting ahead of therapeutic innovation and deepening collaboration with other global regulators.

Pound said the reforms’ appeal to sponsors will not come only from faster timelines. He argued that more subtle changes — including earlier and more iterative communication between regulators and sponsors — could lead to better-designed trials that improve the odds of success...